Passionate Fall Engagement at Bancroft’s Castle: Alison & Zack’s Golden Hour Session | Benefits of an Engagement Session
Alison and Zack's engagement session at Bancroft's Castle in Groton, MA was one of those sessions that felt less like work and more like spending an afternoon with people you genuinely care about. By the time we met at the castle I had already photographed her sister's proposal, her sister's wedding, and Alison's own proposal in Boston — so when she showed up hiking the trail in heels, assuring me the wide heels meant she'd be completely fine, I believed her immediately. She was right. We arrived to find another photographer finishing a fantasy shoot among the ruins and I spent a moment wishing I had exchanged contact information with them — but the moment they packed up and left, the castle was entirely ours. Two hours of solo exploration earlier that morning meant I knew exactly where I wanted to take them, and they came with ideas of their own. We talked about their wedding, her sister's wedding, photography, and life — and in between all of that, we made some of my favorite photos from any engagement session this year.
For me, an engagement session is more than just photos. It’s a great opportunity for us to connect, in person, before your wedding day, and really get to know each other. I’ll get to learn more about you two as a couple, like how you met and your plans for the future, and you get to learn, first-hand, how I work behind the camera and some of the tricks I use to bring out genuine emotion and natural posing. You’ll mostly be connecting and interacting with each other to bring out your genuine love and passion you two share. I want all my couples to feel incredible after leaving their engagement session and confident that I am the best photographer for their wedding day. Plus, you get more great photos, like these, as a bonus.
Do We Really Need Engagement Photos?
Almost every couple I work with begins the conversation saying things like, “We’re so awkward in photos” or “You’ll have to do a lot of work to get good photos of us.” This is why I find it absolutely crucial to find time to do an engagement session before your wedding day. Your engagement session is the best way to get rid of your jitters around photography and build confidence in yourself and your photographer.
Rehearsal: It usually takes a good 15-20 minutes to get fully warmed up and feeling like professional models, but we might not have that much time on your wedding day to get you feeling confident. Remember, if you feel confident then you will look confident. We’ll already be going into your wedding day with a solid foundation of trust and understanding ensuring you’ll perform like rockstars on your wedding day.
Discovery: Every couple is different and its important for me to learn what works and what doesn’t work so we don’t have to waste precious time during your wedding. I already know which poses, angles, and jokes work best for you.
To Alison and Zack — your wedding is almost here and I honestly cannot wait. From your proposal in Boston to this session in the ruins to whatever magic is coming next month — it has been an honor every step of the way.
If you're looking for an engagement session location that feels completely unlike anything else — Bancroft's Castle is it. I'd love to explore it with you.
Bancroft's Castle looks completely different in every season — if you want to see what it looks like in the pouring rain, check out Chelsea and Ryan's rainy adventure engagement session for a completely different but equally stunning side of the ruins. And if you'd like to see more of my engagement session work across New England, browse my engagement photography portfolio.
